1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a passage ticket processing apparatus and more particularly to an apparatus for processing a passage ticket of a toll road to issue the passage ticket, which is used in collecting a toll.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there has been put to practice use a passage ticket processing apparatus, which is provided at an exit gate such as, a toll collecting apparatus. The passage ticket apparatus reads a passage ticket, e.g., a magnetic passage ticket, delivered to a driver at an entrance gate to collect the toll. In such a system, a ticket issuing machine for issuing a passage ticket, serving as a passage ticket processing apparatus, is provided at the entrance gate. Also, a ticket confirming machine for confirming a passage ticket, serving as a passage ticket processing apparatus, is provided at the exit gate. Generally, car type data of the vehicle to enter is discriminated by a clerk in charge at the entrance gate. The car type data is recorded in the passage ticket as magnetic data by the ticket issuing machine. Then, the ticket in which car type data is recorded is delivered to the driver of the vehicle. A clerk in charge at the exit gate receives the passage ticket from the driver. The received passage ticket is inserted into the ticket confirming machine, and the toll is calculated based on the type of the vehicle, and the traveling distance from the entrance gate, thereby collecting the toll.
In the conventional passage ticket processing system, car type data recorded at the entrance gate is read by the confirming machine provided at the exit gate. Then, the clerk at the exit gate discriminates whether or not recorded data is correct. If it is correct, the toll to be collected is calculated.
In recent years, as the types of the developed vehicles have been increased in number, the classification of the car type is subdivided, and complicated, so that it takes much time to discriminate car type data of the vehicle. In addition, there often occurs a problem in which the clerk at the entrance gate records erroneous car type data in the passage ticket, and the clerk at the exit gate finds out such an input error.
When the clerk at the exit gate finds an input error in car type data after inserting the passage ticket into the confirming machine, the passage ticket is once discharged from the passage ticket processing apparatus, and the function as a confirming machine of the passage ticket processing apparatus is changed to the function as an issuing machine so as to record correct car type data onto the passage ticket. Thereafter, the toll is calculated based on correct data, and the toll is collected. In processing the passage ticket in which such erroneous data is recorded, the complicated procedures such as the discharge of the passage ticket and the reinsertion of the passage ticket are required, and there is a problem in that efficiency of processing at the exit gate worsens.
In order to deal with the above problem, Japanese patent application No. 2-288559 already proposes a holding mechanism for holding the passage ticket unmoved in which an eccentric roller and a stopper are combined (hereinafter called as escrow mechanism). However, in the escrow mechanism, the passage ticket cannot be surely pressed to a conveyer belt due to the use of the eccentric roller, and a transfer delay occurs when the holding state of the passage ticket is released, so that a reading or writing error occurs.